2011 Subaru Liberty GT - $56,990EGC

2009 Subaru Liberty GT Wagon. Photo: Newsdesk Media

With news that Subaru's soon-to-be-released Levorg station-wagon will boast a turbocharged WRX-style powerplant, interest in the whole all-wheel-drive performance wagon thing could get a big shot in the arm.

And that's particularly true of Subaru's offerings because a potent wagon has long been a staple of the brand's Aussie offerings.

While the new Liberty was a welcome change from the rather ungainly looking previous version, that earlier car was also available with a punchy station-wagon variant dubbed the Liberty 2.5i GT.

And while it was still afflicted with that bison-esque styling job designed to appeal to the North American market (and nobody else, it seems) in GT form it was a handy gadget and entirely capable.

Subaru kept the six-cylinder Liberty variant in the Australian line-up when it made the model switch back in 2009, but the 2.5i GT was still seen as the gun model which made sense since Subaru's turbocharged four-cylinder engine have always been more fulfilling than the six-cylinder option.

As a distinctly upmarket model, the GT specification was also pretty complete, with full leather trim and sat-nav standard.

The basic GT package was good dynamically and one of the things that keeps Subaru buyers coming back for more.

The engine's performance is strong and with 195kW of power to play with and plenty of torque, making the turbocharged Liberty appealing to keen drivers as well as those just looking for reliable transport.

The all-wheel-drive gives the car another dimension, too, providing great grip on slippery surfaces and making Subarus generally popular with the ski-bunny set.

While lesser Liberties made do with a CVT transmission, the GT specification got you a choice of either a five-speed conventional automatic or a six-speed manual. The manual is more fun to drive, but bear in mind it might be a bit harder to unload to the next owner a few years down the track.

Our pick would be the station-wagon body, too, since even the sedan is no looker and the wagon layout simply makes the car even more useful.

That said, watch closely for a second-hand interior because kids and dogs can be awfully hard on the inside of a car. That's especially true of the Liberty which didn't exactly feature the highest quality interior materials in its make-up.

Actually, that's a real theme with Subarus; the interior plastics never seem to match the rest of the car's quality standards.

Subaru engines, on the other hand, have traditionally been solid, dependable units on the proviso that they get their share of preventative maintenance.

It's well known in the trade that a Subaru engine that has not had the appropriate oil and filter changes will be a likely candidate to expire early on. And if anything, the later generation units like the one in the Liberty GT are even more reliant on the correct servicing. That's because the turbocharger produces a lot of heat, much of which is absorbed by the oil.

But the variable-valve timing on the GT's engine uses a series on intricate little oilways that will simply clog up and starve parts of the engine for oil if the lubricant becomes too thick and sludgy.

The GT's four-cylinder also has a timing belt to drive the camshafts and this needs replacing at scheduled intervals.

There are two schools of thought as to when this needs to be done: Some mechanics reckon 125,000km is a safe interval to change the belts, others reckon it's best to do it at 100,000km as the idlers and pulleys will then last through to the next change at 200,000km (which they may not with a 125,000km belt-change interval).

And don't forget that a Liberty GT from, say, 2009 or 2010 could easily be approaching that mark, so budget for a timing belt replacement when haggling over the price.

Much has been written about Subaru engines blowing head gaskets over the years and, for a time, it was certainly an issue. But the series of engines we're dealing with here are a much later design and don't seem to have the same problems.

That said, it's worth checking any engine for coolant in the oil (making it milky on the dipstick) or oil in the coolant, which can show up as a scum in the radiator.

Check, too, for a white goo under the oil filler cap, although this can also be caused by an engine that only does short runs and never warms up properly. Again, these symptoms are not confined to Subaru engines.

One thing that some owners have complained about with these cars, though, is excessive oil consumption. And it's worth remembering that all engines consume some oil, so excessive consumption is a debatable term.

In cars that have been affected, investigations have shown that the oil control rings in the engine have worn prematurely, probably due to a fault with the honing (bore preparation) process during the engine's manufacture.

It probably only affected a handful of batches of cars, and doesn't appear to be widespread in Australian-delivered Subarus.

Competitors:

Ford Mondeo ? Not all-wheel-drive, but a huge car inside and a station-wagon option that takes practical to new heights. Turbo-diesel option is good, but Ecoboost turbo petrol is the one to buy. 3.5/5

Mazda 6 ? Again, its front-drive only, but the Mazda 6 is a class act from front to back. Latest SkyActiv engine technologies have tamed the 6's thirst and again, the station-wagon variant is the pick. 4/5

Skoda Superb ? A little Euro flavour doesn't hurt and in the Skoda's case, you're also getting one of the roomiest interiors in the business. A bit of an orphan in Australia, the Superb is good value second-hand. 4/5